Christmas Tour of Homes

Much thanks to The Nester for hosting Christmas tour of Homes, and for allowing me to share. If you want to join or read other post please click (HERE), or icon.

Welcome Everyone to our Home for Christmas!

I have been planning this birthday party for weeks, it's a very special birthday, but we won't celebrate it until the 25th. I just wanted to get everything ready so that when the guests arrive, I will have special time with them.

All of the lights are up, and the trees are decorated so that our special Birthday Person will be so pleased with what we have done to celebrate His special day.

Our daughter Susan and her family are coming to help celebrate, the other children and their families are not going to be here. Boo! Hoo! We know they will be thinking of home and how everything is decorated , what's in the oven, and what is going on, so I am posting as many decorations as possible so they can enjoy..........

"(Guys our hearts and thoughts are with you, just know we love you very much and will miss your presence here on the farm.)"

Our family has always enjoyed decorating for Christmas. It has been a tradition we carried throughout their growing up years. And one they have carried out in their own families.

One reason I titled this blog"Where Memories Are Made". is that I know how important memories are in our lives. I am so thankful for all of the memories I have from my childhood and for the memories I have with our own family....... And each and every day we are making more memories.....

Susan has been calling everyday and asking " Are you ready for us yet?" "How is the decorating coming along?" "We will be there soon, can't wait." It has been a year since she was home so you know how excited she must be. SO...........

Let it snow! Let it snow!

This is our family tree, most of the ornaments on it are home made, some are over thirty -five years old, made by our children when they were young. I treasure each and everyone of them, and when I am hanging the ornaments I am remembering fond memories of how they came about being made.( I better be careful I might start crying..)

Do you see Mrs, Claus and the wise man, hand painted by our sons, the calico Christmas tree ornaments, were made by my sister, Mary, and I along with our children. I remember us sitting, hand stuffing and stitching each of theses ornament. We were laughing and having so much fun.

More memories!!

I am always tucking poinsettias here and there, can you find the bird?

Nativity tree in foyer.... one of my favorite.

View coming down the stairs......

Dining room

Let's not forget the chandelier

This is the victorian tree in our bedroom, I always enjoy decorating this tree as I have so many ornaments that have such special meaning to me.

I added bubbling clear lights, they are so much fun to watch. I bought bubbling lights some years back , because they reminded me of my childhood when my grandmother had them  on her tree.

a few more ornaments for the tree...you think.lol

This is one of many ornaments our daughter Susan made for me twenty years ago, she was a newly wed and was living far away, and when she came home for Christmas she surprised me with these ornaments, needless to say I cherish them and always look forward to placing them on my victorian tree.

Mantel in our bedroom all dressed for Christmas

Closer view of dining room

Dining room tree and one of our Dickens Village.....

This is the tree in the living room, it has been decorated twice this year....Story... I had just finished decorating it...it was so beautiful, so I decided I would move it, and I pulled from the bottom at the back of the tree..Wham! all nine feet went forward and landed on the couch.
Only one ornament was broken but the top third of the lights went out. (I have the pics, to prove it) lol I took every ornament off, fixed the lights, went to bed,and got up the next morning and redecorated it.... Needless to say I put it in it's place before I started. LOL...

picture of master bath, I decorate every room.

Another view of bathroom.

View from the kitchen

Thank you so much for visiting us here on the farm, we hope you enjoyed your visit If you would like to visit an old fashioned Dickens Christmas, then come back later this week...... that is one that I really had fun doing, I guess it is the era that I so love....

Blessings,
Sue
Luke 2:14~"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men

on whom His favor rest."

Spiritual Sunday

With much thanks to Ginger and Charlotte for Hosting Spiritual Sunday each week, please click (HERE) to join or read some most inspiring posts.

Displaying nativity scenes (creches) is so much a part of our celebration this time of year. I love to see all of the many creches that are displayed in stores, homes, and especially live nativity scenes that churches have.


This is one of mine that my Mother made for us many years ago, it is a cherished heirloom.

In the thirteenth century, churches in Italy began recreating the Nativity scene during the holiday season, with live people and animals as a way of telling people of the birth of Christ, as so many people could not read. Keeping their Hope alive.

In early America, Pennsylvania German households carved wooden Nativity scenes to take the place of the elaborate pageants and plays that they were used to seeing in their native countries. Therefore keeping their Hope alive.


The week of Christmas, neighbors would go from house to house admiring each unique Nativity (creches) that had been so loving carved. They would enjoy food, and fellowship.......

What a wonderful tradition,and what wonderful conversations would take place if we took the time to admire, reflect, and enjoy each Nativity while visiting family and friends this Christmas season. I think we might keep our minds on what we are really celebrating, and help keep our Hope alive, after all He is the reason for the season!!

A Nativity scene tells of This event , and without this event where would our Hope be? So gather your loved ones around read from Luke:2 the Christmas story,and let the little ones touch each figurine, and encourage them to ask questions. My desire is that this tradition will go on for many years to come, and that these little ones will tell their children of the Christmas story,...... and keep their hope alive.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her first born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Praying for a most Blessed Christmas for you and your love ones.

Hugs,
Sue

Hello Dear Friends,

With much thanks to Ginger and Charlotte for hosting Spiritual Sunday, please join or if you want to read some most inspiring posts click HERE.

I can hardly believe that a week has almost past in this most glorious of months, Christmas will have soon come and gone. It seems the older I get, that time just passes so quickly.

A very special thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes!!! I am doing great, and I give Him all of the Glory for this.

It is in the most quietest of times

that God speaks the loudest to me .........

One thing that I am trying to do this Christmas season is to find more time, a quiet place, and be alone with God , allowing Him to order my days. This means getting up a little bit earlier, reading and meditating on His Word, praying over my day, as well as journaling. I find that if I journal my thoughts, (Once you see it in print) that things seem a bit clearer. I am also trying to be more thankful. I find that when I am being more thankful that I don't complain as much.

Psalms 95:2,3~ Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving: Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

For the Lord is the great God , And the great King above all Gods.

It is so very easy to get frustrated especially if you get behind in your work, I have had to do a lot of catching up lately. lol

I have also found that if I start my day with Him, that He, who is the giver of time, makes my time somehow stretch. Does that makes sense?I hope so!! And as I spend this alone time with Him I find that He helps me set priorities and plan my day. You see God is concerned about our time.

And always expect the unexpected I have found that if I have spent that alone time with Him that these interruptions will not seem as big......

Here is an example of one of my days this past week. After devotions and my day was planned.... I had my Christmas music playing and was just humming along when I went into the laundry room, working on some house plants in the sink, not realizing that I had just washed some eggs and they were drying by the sink too. all of a sudden one fell, not on the floor, but just cracks so pretty on one of out air vents, and drops down the pipe. Yep!!! right smack in the vent. I laughed, and said "this could only happen to me." So what is a person to do?? Just get down on your knees with paper towels and reach and clean that runny egg out of the vent., and then clean with cleaner.

Now have you ever had to do this? It took me thirty minutes, but it got cleaned up. and me and the Lord had a good laugh over it. Do you think every thing else went smooth the rest of the day? One interruption on top of another, I had two long telephone conversations, You might say "tell them to call later," Not when it is your children, no sirree, wouldn't have missed them for all the world..

I had two unexpected visitors who just wanted to talk. I am reminded of entertaining angels unaware...here is the most amazing thing about my day, all of the work plan that the Lord and I had planned got completed. and I did my walking too.

So as we are now in this most wonderful time of year, may we take the time to know the Real Meaning of Christmas.

My prayer is that we will take more time and come and sit at His feet, and let Him renew our spirit as we begin this most glorious season of celebrating our Savior's Birthday.

Blessings and hugs,

Sue